The Effect of Socioeconomic Status and Gender on High School Student Perceptions About Career and Technical Education

This quantitative study examines the perceptions of career and technical education (CTE) among high school students based on their socioeconomic status and gender, and the interaction between the two. The study used a convenience sample of 207 students from four coastal South Carolina high schools. The data was collected using the Image of Vocational Education (IVE) survey. The data was analyzed using a two-way ANOVA. The results found that low socioeconomic status, middle socioeconomic status, high socioeconomic status all had positive perceptions of CTE; female and male had no differences in perception; and there is no interaction. The summary and discussion conclude that high school student perceptions of CTE are positive. Recommendations for further research include a qualitative study looking at individualized perceptions rather than overall perceptions as well as finding reasons why high school students are not enrolling in CTE courses